Improvement in skates



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN IRVING, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN SKATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,447, dated January20, 1863.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that l, BENJAMIN IRvINe, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Skates; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in providing the skate with clampsand levers in such manner that it is capable of being clamped to theboot of the skater by the movement of one lever, and in also making theclamps adjustablein relation to each other, so as to be fitted to bootso't' different dimensions.

The same letters of reference upon the different figures in the drawingsindicate the same parts.

Figure l is an elevation showing the levers loosened so as to discngagethe clamps; Fig. 2, an elevation showing the levers tightened to engagethe clamps; Fig. 3, a plan 5 Fig. 4, an end view of the forward clampsand their plate; Fig. 5, a plan of the forward clamp plate, and Fig. 6views of the latch for holding the levers in place.

Upon the forward part of the skate-body a is fitted the clamp-plate G,which is secured by two screws tapped into the body and passing throughthe slots f f, thus allowing adjustment for length at pleasure. Upon theclamp-plate C are secured by the screws shown, passing through the slotsg g, two side clamps, d el, in such manner that they may be adjusted forwidth at pleasure. The forward clamps, e e, are hooked inward to embrace the edges of the boot-sole at the corners of the toe, and the sideclamps, d d, are in like manner formed to embrace the edges of theboot-sole at the sides by the act of placing the boot upon the skate andthrusting it forward.

The back part of the body, at h, is made lower than the fore part, andslotted to receive the sliding heel piece or clamp, h with its clamp r,to embrace the back part of the boot-heel.

The heel-piece slides freely back and forth upon the body, and iscomposed of two pieces, kand t', which are secured together by the screwj in such manner that the part k may be especially adjusted at a greateror lessdistance from the spur Q, the part t remaining in the same place,thus rendering it easy to adjust the heel-clamp so that boot-heels ofdifferent dimensions may be inserted, and the special adjustment easilymade for many sizes by loosening the screw j and shifting ithe two partsk and fin relation to eachother, and again tightening the screw j. Uponthe sliding heel-piece, at l, is pinned the toggle-levers m m, which arepinned at s to another togglelever, n, which is in turn secured to theskate-body at w in such manner that when the levers m and n are moved bythe handle tfrom the position shown in Fig. l to that shown in Fig.2,the heel-clamp will be moved bodily forward in relation to the body ayand the spur q, so that ifa boot to which the clamps have beenpreviously adjusted be placed upon the skate, and the levers moved asdescribed, the boot will be forced bodily forward by the clamp 7c andthespur Qbe inserted into the material of the forward part of theboot-heel, while the clamps e e and d d will be closely engaged with thesole at the toe and sides, the skate being thus rmly se-` cured to theboot. The spring-latch o holds the toggle-levers m and n in positionuntil it is desired to remove the skate, when it is pressed forward withthe linger, at which time the levers m and n may be thrown down and theboot released from the clamps and spurs.

I do not limit myself to the precise arrangement of levers and clampsherein described, as it is obvious that many variations may be madewithout discarding the essence of the invention.

I am aware that holding-clamps for skates have before been used, and Ido not claim them as my invention 5 but What I do claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Actuating the clamps ki by means of the system of levers m n, therebyengaging it and the adjustable clamp cl e to the boot or shoe, when thewhole are combined, arranged, and operated substantially as described.

2. The combination of the especially adjustable heel-clamp 7st with thetoggle-levers, when arranged and operating substantially as described.

3. The combination of the toe, side, and heel clamps when adjustableseverally and in relation to each other substantially as described.

Wtnesses: BENJAMIN IRVING.

E. S. WHEELER, N. W. WHEELER.

